I remember UN Day back in 2019. I took five color copies of the “Welcome to WE! Printernet Gazette” to give to the right people. It was my vision for the big news on the International Day of Peace on September 21, 2020. Alachua County would be way ahead in the Sustainable World Games. I’d figured out how to keep score on the Leaderboard. I wasn’t sure who I would give those five copies to, but I would know when the time came.
And I did. I saw my friend Harriet at the UN Day celebration at the Gainesville Woman’s Club. For years, Harriet and I had planned fun activities for children’s spiritual education. She would get it. So I gave one to her. We didn’t have time to talk about it. (I don’t think I ever did talk about it with her.)
As soon as I put it in her hand, we both turned our attention to the Keynote Speaker. That was the first time I’d heard Cynthia Barnett speak. She told stories from her book, “Rain: A Natural and Cultural History.” I knew she taught environmental journalism at the University of Florida. Her insights, eloquence, and masterful storytelling captivated me. I don’t remember if I gave her a Printernet Gazette. Probably so.
But then came the youth panel. Three high schoolers spoke about their actions to care for our planet and our future.. Sydni Solomon from St. Francis School got the whole auditorium singing, much to my delight. Lauren Cohen from Oak Hall School and Isaac Augsburg from Trilogy School talked about their climate action. I don’t remember if Isaac spoke about “Our Children’s Trust.” But I do know that by the next year, he was one of the youth plaintiffs who sued the US Government for not addressing the climate crisis, violating their constitutional rights to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness.
After the program, I handed each of those courageous, confident youth leaders a copy of my Printernet Gazette. I reached out to them and continued the climate conversation for a short time.
I wonder what those three young people are up to now? Would they want to help win the Global Goals by 2030? We could use the same Leaderboard plan that I proposed back in 2019.
That’s a good SEED IDEA for the Gardens of Global Unity in September 2025. Stay tuned!
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Resources
UN Day 2019 – “Our Planet, Our Future” – United Nations Association of Gainesville, Florida
https://docs.google.com/document/d/11zs4mhz3Gg0HL5EV0WbmtmpAH-RiFW6NxMsLDd1q7eE/edit?usp=sharing
Isaac Augspurg: Standing up to climate change https://www.gainesville.com/story/opinion/columns/more-voices/2020/06/01/isaac-augspurg-standing-up-to-climate-change/112814354/
The Birth of Our Children’s Trust https://www.ourchildrenstrust.org/blog/the-birth-of-our-childrens-trust-a-mothers-day-to-remember
Rain: A Natural and Cultural History https://www.cynthiabarnett.net/rain-a-natural-and-cultural-historyWelcome to WE! Printernet Gazette: Alachua County Edition Oct 2019 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gOkLFPXSSkbrv3vVPeo_DdshEdt3vYwLgvMDQiTk-XM/edit?usp=sharing